Missing Pieces
by DarkAngelSnapeLover
Summary: Kate Read always knew she'd be the last of the Read children living at home, but she never expected to be the last because of a family tragedy. Warning: Character Death and emotionally trying piece. One-shot. Rating chosen because of the message inside the piece. See Author's notes for details. Completed for one-shot challenge. See my profile for more details.


**Missing Pieces**

**WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH.**

_This piece is rated K+ because of the point I'm trying to make. Be prepared for sadness if you continue reading, but I have a point. See my A/N for details_

Kate was walking around the empty house without feeling. She knew that one day, she would be the last Read child remaining at home, the final child to spread her wings and leave the nest. She just didn't expect it to be this way, much sooner than expected.

DW was gone, her lift stolen by texting

Kate was working on her algebra homework, the smell of dinner floating up and interupting her equations. Her father was cooking dinner downstairs. Her mother was running errands in town. DW was out with friends, namely her best friend Emily, who'd been her best friend since their first days in Pre-K together. They were with their boyfriends of the week, guys Kate never bothered to learn the names of. She and her sister were never close, though they sometimes thought kind thoughts for each other.

When the sirens passed for the first time, Kate was annoyed. Why did they have to be so loud? She just wanted to finish her homework assignment, the last one before the next big test. Then two more sets of sirens went by, and Kate just gave up. She decided she was more useful downstairs helping her father with dinner.

But when she entered the kitchen, she found her father sobbing on the floor underneath the phone.

"Dad! Dad, what happened?!" Kate yelled, kneeling beside him. Looking back, the moment was too loud, too forced, too everything. But really all she could remember was what he said next:

"DW! DW's dead!' he sobbed.

Kate then held him, too numb to speak.

Kate walked into her room, letting her fingers dance over the dress she'd worn to the funeral. Her parents were with Arthur, driving him back to his apartment. They wouldn't return until morning, leaving Kate alone in the shell of the house, empty aside from the piles of flowers and food people had sent them.

Kate didn't know how to feel. DW died texting a friend. She looked down, ran a red light, and plowed into a city bus. Emily was badly injured, as were a few of the bus's passengers. DW was almost a murderer for what she did, all because of a stupid text message, a petter response to an even pettier question. Emily was apparently laughing about something at the time. She didn't know anything had happened until she woke up in a hospital, surrounded by wires and hurting in odd places.

Kate's family was devestated. She felt that emptiness, but she was still so angry at her sister. Why did she have to do what she did? Kate simply didn't understand.

As she looked out the window, she realized she loved her sister. She was hurting because of her loss. She would always feel that emptiness, that missing piece. She would always be aware of the bigger picture.

And above all, she'd never text and drive.

~End

Theme 006: Teaching A Lesson

Theme 018: Tragedy

Challenge: Cover an emotionally taxing moment.

A/N: I completed this one-shot in a challenge I'm doing with TheUltimateCombo. For more info, see our profiles or my latest journal on deviantArt (there's a link at the top). If you'd like to join us, let me or TheUltimateCombo know-everyone's welcome to join:)

So, this was pretty rough, huh? I wrote this in class for the theme Tragedy, but I added Teaching A Lesson to it because of the message I'm trying to put across. This kind of thing happens too much, and not just with teenagers. Someone thinks, "Oh, I'll just check this message real quick," then BOOM, they either just killed themselves or innocent bystanders.

I drive. I have a really long commute to and from school (almost an hour some days). I don't really text anyway, but if I did, I WOULD WAIT. No text is that important, not one. If there is a problem, you can always deal with it later. I'm sure your family will understand. If they don't, show this to them. "You want me to die or be a murderer, Mom? Huh? I didn't think so." That's why this message is important.

In conclusion, sorry for killing off a character (even if I don't like her, this piece is still sad to me), but I had to get a point across. Texts can wait, and be careful when you're on the roads. People are idiots and they will try to kill you. Again, I have a long commute and it happens every day:) Just be safe and you'll be fine.

~Have a safe summer,

DASL


End file.
